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SÃO PAULO, BRAZIL — Braskem SA, leading producer of thermoplastic resins in the Americas and the world's largest biopolymers producer, is partnering with top technical schools from Brazil and Mexico to begin training new employees in May to work at the Braskem Idesa petrochemical complex, slated to open in Veracruz, Mexico, in 2015.

The company will transfer its operator training program that has been established in Brazil with public technical college SENAI, and will partner with Mexico's Universidad Tecnológica del Sureste Veracruz (UTSV). The first Mexican class will have 140 students train for five months, with a focus on plant assembly in addition to operations, to aid in the facility's construction.

Braskem's training program has included BRL1.2 million (US$605,938) in annual investment to support hiring at 29 industrial plants in Brazil. Roughly 400 new plant operations employees are expected to be trained over 18 months to work in the Mexican ethylene and polyethylene complex, which is expected to be operational by July 2015.

Braskem increased its stake in the Mexican joint venture project in late December from 65 percent to 75 percent, with Mexican petrochemical partner Grupo Idesa SA de CV dropping from 35 percent to 25 percent.

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